Saturday, December 5, 2015

I've had this palette for a while and haven't been able to decide how I truly feel about it. It sold out in the first 15 minutes or something ridiculous like that, and then was on back order for a few months, and once it was back in stock took even longer to be distributed due to a hold up with the shipping center being on strike. I'm telling you, people were HURTIN for this palette, myself included!! Here are the colors the palette holds, all of which were selected by famed makeup guru Jaclyn Hill ( LOVE HER! Girl Crush x10!)

As you can see the palette is very warm, and has mostly matte and shimmer colors ranging from purples to oranges. You're pretty set with this palette for any season, for an array of looks. The browns are rich but I'm still working on developing layers with them! It seems they aren't as buildable as I'd like, but I'll be trying some new looks going forward with more of the copper colors. Overall the price is only $28, which is FANTASTIC for a guru inspired/designed ANYTHING! Most palettes with colors like these range upwards of $50! Another great advantage to having this palette is that there are SO many folks who love Jacyln and have done tutorials for 100 million different looks!!

The look I did in my "AFTER" pictures mixes cranberry with browns for a dark Holiday look. I used the color next to the green in the palette on the lid and built it into the crease with a ton of browns, both matte and shimmer. I lined the top lid with wet n wild gel liner (which is bomb.com) and dusted the lower last lid with the cranberry colors as well. Do you have a go-to holiday look?! Comment below, I'd love to give it a try!

Thursday, April 30, 2015

This stuff is the BOMBBBBBBB! Seriously! I always take Vitamin E supplements, and have been loving my Vitamin E stick that I use on my lips, but didn't realize I could get this marvel in a cream form! When I say this stuff is creamy, I mean it is CREAMMMMYYYYYY. It's actually weirdly satisfying how rich and creamy it is! I take a nickle size dollop and use it as my facial moisturizer, focusing on my forehead and eyes/under eye area - in the last few weeks I haven't had any breakouts, I haven't experienced any redness, my makeup has held longer, and I've noticed my face just looks better! I even used this as a base for a wedding I did last weekend and it was the perfect base! No more dry skin, it's not greasy, and my skin drinks it up- the best part is that I bought a 2 pack of this stuff for $4!! Try it out :)

Sunday, April 19, 2015

I know, a burning face mask doesn't sound like something anyone smart would try, but I'm here to tell you that YOU SHOULD! Yes, this mask does make you feel like someone is rubbing jalapenos into your pores, BUT I wouldn't tell you to do this if it wasn't for great results! With the season change, my skin has decided, yet again to go NUTS, so once again I was forced to find a fix! This super easy natural face mask can be made with things you probably already have! Here's how you make it :

2 TBSP LEMON JUICE

1 TBSP CINNAMON

1 TBSP NUTMEG

2 TBSP HONEY

Mix together and slather on your face and neck. Your face will start to burn - but the heat will die down after a few minutes - leave it on for a total of 20 mins and then rinse with warm water. I did this after work and woke up to my face being nearly blemish free! Two days later, I was completely free of any redness or blemishes and my pores were smaller and weirdly enough- my t-zone oil was even kind of tamed! Try it out and see how you like it!

Friday, March 20, 2015

About a month ago I saw an awesome deal on Groupon for this lovely airbrush system by Belletto Studio, it's still available too if you are interested in taking the plunge after reading this!

I've been interested in airbrushing, but the machines have always been upwards of $100...not including the makeup! The machine applies a thin layer of liquid concealer that dries with a flawless powdery finish, perfect for doing weddings and special events! If you invest in one of these bad boys, remember that before applying any type of airbrush foundation you should be WELL moisturized- otherwise you'll end up looking like a corpse!

Check out these Before and Afters

The past few weeks I've been experiencing some INTENSE dryness, redness and breakouts... NOT like me at all. Redness for me is semi-normal, I've got some broken capillaries around my nose that have always been a pain... as for breakouts- maybe I'd get a few blemishes here and there.... dryness, not me at all, I've ALWAYS had an oily T-Zone...so, as you can tell MY FACE IS WACKY RIGHT NOW! Needless to say, I was more than ecstatic when this bad boy showed up at my house!! I opened up my box and went to work!!

Things to remember: It's important to have your hair back during the airbrush process...this way it keeps your hair from being speckled by foundation bits. The band I'm using is from my sisters company- BEAN BANDS! They have a velvet lining on the side that sits on your hair, allowing for a non-slip, painless grip! I have a funny shaped head, where the back of it is pretty flat at the base, so most of the time these types of bands do NOT stay on...Bean Bands stay on without a problem, and they don't squeeze your dome to the point of a headache (another problem I have with my big fat head!). Also they come in every glitter color under the sun, so you should totally check them out ;) at www.beanbands.net .

Other things to remember - you will want to moisturize as I mentioned before, and be sure to have the airbrush on low to medium, never high or you will end up with cake face! Remember to always hold it 3-4 inches from your face, bringing the gun closer to focus on problem spots.

I'll do a FOTD with the airbrush machine this weekend - so far it's very easy to use and clean. It's not too loud, and the coverage is weightless and even! I'll report more in my FOTD!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Today's FOTD was inspired by the lovely Spring weather we have been having! I chose to do a brown smokey eye with a bit of gold in hopes that it will channel the SUN!

As always, I start with a clean fresh face & prime my eyes with Urban Decay Primer Potion and a layer of Painterly from my MAC paint pot.

For my eyes, I used my custom Z Pallette with Makeup Geek colors -Creme Brulee, chickadee, Beaches & Cream, and Peach Smoothie were all used in the crease to build color and depth- I used Mocha in the outer corners to create a smoke eye. On the lid I used Mugshot from the Naked 3 Palette on a wet brush in order to give a more metallic finish. I was feelin' the need for heavy liner today and used Black track by MAC with an angled liner brush from Sigma. To sculpt and fill my brows I used my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade in Blonde - I love the color Taupe but its just too dark for me right now. I used yet another angled brush from Sigma to fill and shape my brows!

For my foundation I am using MAC Studio Sculpt NW20 with a light layer of Mineralize Skin Finish on top. #33 Whispies from the brand Andrea were applied to my lashes with duo eyelash glue- and I ran a light coat of Smolder by MAC on my bottom waterline- followed up with MAC eyeshadow in Embark on a flat brush under my bottom lashed to add to the smoked out look. I contoured with Blunt by MAC and Warm Soul was used to warm up my cheeks.

This look will be more dramatic, the darker the colors. I plan to use lots of light golds and browns with this technique this Spring with hints of Navy and Purple!

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

I am a DIY freak of nature! Any project that I find cute, and realistic for me to accomplish, I WANT TO DO! This project had its moments of extreme frustration as I had no directions and every tutorial I looked at failed to mention some pretty big pointers! For example- make sure you get magnetic metal-and CHECK IT! Folks at both Home Depot AND Lowes assured me certain sheets were magnetic and they weren't, so check it out yourself. Also don't use a small hot glue gun if you're gluing the sheet onto the backing- get a larger gun, it just makes it easier! Don't get magnetic striping that you take the backing off of ... it isn't strong enough for foundations or palettes... or even most single eye shadows!

Here's What I Bought for my Project!

Frame- Mine is huge 27 x 39 -

Got it from Ikea for about $25 and it comes in an array of colors!

Hot Glue Gun & Glue - Got mine from Michael's for about $8

Magnets- Pack of 52- Got mine at Michael's for $8

Sheet of Galvanized Steel- Home Depot $10

Command Strips- Target $6

Yes this project was a bit pricey- but I think it's cute, durable and allows me to keep all of my favorites out without cluttering my vanity!

HOW TO

I simply hot glued the steel sheet to the backing on my frame, and replaced it in the frame... I anchored the frame to the wall, using command strips for extra support on the bottom so that it doesn't budge! You can also use command strips to hold the sheet metal to the frame backing rather than gluing it. Next I hot glued magnets onto my favorite items and TA-DA- easy peasy storage! I'm thinking about covering the whole thing in fabric- just haven't found the right print yet!

You can also find out how I organize all my products that aren't deemed "every day" products, here! What's your favorite way to Organize?

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Who doesn't love Target? You can get ANYTHING you need, and even pick up things you didn't know you needed! Every weekend the man and I go on a lovely trip to Target and Harris Teeter to do our weekly shopping. I ordered an air brush machine last week because I have a few weddings I'm doing this Spring and want to start playing with different airbrush bases, so, off to the moisturizing section I went. I have combination skin, it's pretty dry/normal but a bit oily in the t-zone. For girls with very oily faces, airbrushing is a top pick...however, girls who tend to be dryer can look older when airbrushed if the proper base is not applied. After doing some research, I found that Target carried quite a few oil products that will work perfectly as an airbrush base AND hydrate my skin during the cold/ dry weather!

The first product I picked up was an organic facial oil that evens skin tone, moisturizes and fights aging... personally, I didn't know facial oils existed... probably because normally I'd be terrified of smothering my face with oil! This lovely lightweight oil smells of rosehip and is applied by dripping 3-5 drops onto clean hands and distributing all over the face and neck. Botanics is the brandand it costs about $8! The second product is also around $8 (WIN!) and it's by another great brand, J.R. Watkins! This oil is an all over body oil mist that smells like Coconut & Honey! BEWARE... if you have animals, they will think you smell like heaven and follow after you trying to lick your legs! Within minutes of using both products my skin felt 100x better! It was soft and smooth, I smelled wonderful and was shocked as I didn't realize how dry I was! I smother myself in coco butter daily, but think this dry weather is a lot more harsh than I thought!

UPDATE! - In just a matter of days the Botanics Facial Oil has managed to work some pretty serious magic on my large pores. The pores on my nose and cheeks are nearly invisible and my breakouts and rough skin has completely vanished! The body spray has also smoothed my rough elbows and soothed razor bumps! Deeming these products as KEEPERS!

Also pictured is a really rad nail polish by Sally Hansen called Gilty Party- It's a very glittery metallic silver/copper color and I couldn't pass it up because it was on sale and I have an

addiction to metallic nail polish!

Also on sale was the new Venus Swirl Razor. It was about $11 and you got a free shaving cream with it as well! I came home and took an Epsom salt bath with my new razor, shaving gel, and lovely charcoal nose strip! Quite relaxing if you ask me :) - The razor is AMAZING. I've always been a Venus fan, but this one just really contours well, especially around your kneecaps and back of the knee (the area I ALWAYS accidentally cut, and then gush blood). Also the handle is a bit thicker and just feels more sturdy! -

The Biore Charcoal Pore Strips are supposed to pull 3x more gunk from your face than the regular Biore strips... I didn't get much this time around, but I'm hoping that's because I did a regular strip on Friday night! When I try these again I'll report back if these strips are a dud, generally Biore has amazing products so I'm hoping these hold true!

Thursday, March 5, 2015

It's yet another chilly Winter day in Maryland so I decided to share with you some products, tips, and tricks that I use during the dry months!

Here are the product descriptions from Left to Right and what I use them for:

Vitamin E Stick - This stick is perfect for moisturizing any area that feels or looks dry, it will also protect you from harsh winds, so it's perfect for those days out on the slopes! I love it on my lips after a good lip scrub and also fancy using it under my eyes. Not only does it moisturize, but it fights wrinkles by keeping the skin softer and of course, supplying it with Vitamin E! Before I found this stick, I was cutting open liquid Vitamin E and applying the gel to my face that way... needless to say, this stick has made things a lot less messy and a lot more convenient! You can find this for about $3 at Ulta in the skin care section!

Sally Hansen Extra Strength Creme Hair Bleach- The two boxes I have are for face and body... I know, I know, you're probably thinking "Dang, she must be a hairy beast!" and hey... if you're a mutt like me, and your lovely summer tan fades to a pasty white in the winter, and your gorgeous sun bleached body hair turns back to dark brown... you've probably tried multiple methods to keep from looking like a wildebeest. The bleach works great for me, mostly because it evens everything out. Plucking and shaving and waxing leave you worrying or wondering about any hairs you've missed! Bleaching takes 5 minutes, is painless and you just paint it on wherever you want it. I'm allergic to most waxes, I have sensitive skin and am susceptible to razor burn, and I tweeze when possible... but for some reason bleach just seems the easiest to me. I will note however, that the bigger box (face and body) came with a pre-conditioner that I had a bad reaction to... so, I just use the bleach mix, it doesn't hurt and it's easy to mix and slather on. This too can be found at Ulta and most stores for $4-$7. BYE BYE random black hairs that haunt my dreams!!

UP&UP Unscented Body wash- This soap is unscented, and I know that might seem boring, but really, it's a good thing! Often times in the dryer months, your skin can become more sensitive to fragrance! My skin can't handle it, as I overproduce Keratin and get weird bumps everywhere- so, I opt for this body wash as it is a generic version of Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash. Rich later, leaves me feeling clean but moisturized, and is only about $4 for a big ole' bottle at Target!

Biore Charcoal Pore Minimizer- This new exfoliate helps eliminate the appearance of pores while providing a deep clean with natural charcoal! I love Dark Angels by LUSH, but Biore has always had some real great pore targeting products, so I had to give it a shot! First off, the packaging is great, as you just pump once and have enough soap for your whole face. Using this 2-3 times a week keeps dry skin away and allows for a deep cleaning, clearing any moisturizer or makeup build up from what you may have packed on! I use my Clarisonic Mia with a dab of the above unscented body wash on days where I don't use this product, using both really makes my skin healthy and happy! Found at most stores for $6

About Me

I'm big on beauty. I love to try new products which also means I love to shop. I reside in Baltimore with my boyfriend and what's turning into a mini farm (dogs, cats, chickens)! - life.is.good.
* Follow me for tips, tricks, contests and reviews *